The way of the world | Though today everyone wishes

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891)

Translation © by Sharon Krebs

Der Welt Lauf

Language: German (Deutsch)

Our translations: ENG

Chosen for Diff

  Wollen sie heute mit Haut und Haar
Alle vor Liebe dich fressen: 
  Sei nur ruhig! -- Ganz und gar 
Bist du schon morgen vergessen! 

  Wird in deinen Federn schon
Bald ein Andrer sich blähen, 
  Deinen Acker zum Dank und Lohn 
Sonder Mühe sich mähen!

  Wollen sie heute mit Haut und Haar 
Alle vor Liebe dich fressen:
  Sei nur ruhig! -- Ganz und gar 
Bist du schon morgen vergessen!

Confirmed with Liederbuch von Friedrich Oser, 1842-1874. Mit einem biographischen Verzeichnis der Componisten, Basel: Benno Schwabe, Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1875, pages 325-326.

Text Authorship:

by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Der Welt Lauf", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 353 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Benedikt Randhartinger (1802 - 1893) [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "The way of the world", copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2026-05-17
Line count: 12
Word count: 67

The way of the world

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

Chosen for Diff

  Though today everyone wishes
To eat you up for love of you:
  Only remain calm! -- By tomorrow already 
You shall be utterly and completely forgotten!

  Soon another shall prance around
Puffed up with your glory,
  Shall mow your field for himself 
Without gratitude and recompense, without exertion!

  Though today everyone wishes
To eat you up for love of you:
  Only remain calm! -- By tomorrow already 
You shall be utterly and completely forgotten!

Text Authorship:

Translation from German (Deutsch) to English copyright © 2026 by Sharon Krebs, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Friedrich Heinrich Oser (1820 - 1891), "Der Welt Lauf", appears in Liederbuch, in 5. Vermischte Lieder, no. 353
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-09-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 73